1 . In a large skillet , saute onions in butter until softened . Reduced heat to medium-low , cook for 30 minutes or until deep golden brown , stirring occasionally . Stir in Paprika , salt , thyme and pepper . Remove from heat , cool . Stir in the Swiss cheese .
2 . Lightly brush one sheet of phyllo dough with some of the melted buteer ; place another sheet of phyllo on top and brush with butter .(keep remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap and damp towel to prevent it from drying out ).
3 . Cut the 2 layers sheets into 14-inch x 3-inch strips . Place 1 teaspoon of onion mixture on lower corner of each strip . Fold dough over over filling , forming a triangle . fold triangle up , then fold triangle over forming another triangle . Continue folding like a flag , until you comr to the end of the strip . Brush end of dough with butter and press onto triangle to seal . Turn triangle and breash with butter and press on triangle to seal .
4 . Place triangles on greased baking sheets . Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese . Bake at 375* for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown . Serve warm .

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Makes 4 servngs (serving size : 1-1/4 cup salad & 1 tablespoon cheesse)
Make a colorful dinner salad inspired by the Mediterranean in less than 30 minutes. Use part of the artichoke marinade in the vinaigrette to boost flavor and save time.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

If you shy away from eating vegetables, these tricks will help you get your recommended daily servings and enjoy them, too.

Are you eating 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables per day? If you answered "no," you're not alone. In fact, as many as 90 percent of Americans don't get the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables in their daily diet, according to research published in the Journal of Nutrition. Yet it's really not that hard to meet these guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. One trick: Use vegetable recipes that disguise them, or hide them in foods you like to eat. Here are some simple cooking techniques to get you started.Vegetables are "Grate""One of my favorite ways of sneaking vegetables into meals is to grate or dice carrots, celery, zucchini, onions, and more, and put them in whatever you’re preparing for dinner," says Ruth Frechman, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association who has a private practice in Burbank, Calif. Grated or diced work especially well in spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, tacos, soups, and stew recipes. When you throw extra vegetables in marinara sauce, for instance, you’re getting a double dose because marinara starts off with tomatoes, says Frechman.
Hurray for Puree You can make delicious hot or cold soups simply by pureeing vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, celery, asparagus, pumpkin and other squashes, and cauliflower. For an easy vegetable recipe, start with a bag of mixed frozen vegetables. Add just a tiny amount of butter, dry white wine, vegetable or chicken stock, and your favorite herbs and spices. "When you blend your mixture, it comes out creamy, so it’s a very rich-tasting soup," Frechman says. You won’t even think you’re eating vegetables.

Do the Salsa"Lots of times, people don’t think of salsa as a vegetable," Frechman says. "They love salsa, but don’t realize it’s good for them because it’s made from tomatoes, pepper, celery, onions, cilantro, and lime." To avoid turning this into an unhealthy vegetable recipe, don’t scoop up your salsa with traditional chips. Choose healthier alternatives, such whole-grain crackers and vegetable choices, including carrot and celery sticks and sliced rounds of jicama.

Root for Roasted Vegetables This great vegetable recipe doesn’t disguise veggies, but rather enhances them. Cut root vegetables (such as potatoes, squash, parsnip, and carrots) in chunks, coat them with a little olive oil, and roast them on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350 to 400 degrees for about half an hour. Roasting brings out their sweetness, so although you can still tell they’re vegetables, they taste so good no one will object, Frechman says. Season with a little curry or rosemary, and you’re not only getting nutrients from eating vegetables but also antioxidants from the spices.

Although juicing removes fiber, you’re still "eating" vegetables in a refreshing way. "One of my favorite juices is celery and green apple," Frechman says. "Blended together, it’s the most gorgeous green. It’s so refreshing and has a delicious flavor." What’s neat about making this kind of vegetable recipe is that you can combine fruits and vegetables in one drink and get lots of nutrients in every swallow.

Stuff It
When you’re making stuffing, replace a third of your bread cubes with cut-up vegetables that have been sautéed in a little olive oil. You can put almost any vegetable you want in a stuffing recipe — carrots, celery, onions, peppers, and squash, to name a few. "It’s a great way of adding vegetables and flavor to your dish and still letting stuffing be a feature of your meal," Frechman says.

Hit The SaucePureed vegetables can make a great sauce for grilled chicken,fish, and even other vegetables. Try roasting red and yellow peppers until the skins are charred. Cool slightly, remove the black skin, and puree the peppers in a food processor with a little oil. Roasted peppers are so flavorful you probably won’t need any other ingredients in this vegetable recipe. Use it in place of ketchup for a great sugar-free alternative.

Be a Smoothie Operator The next time you’re making a fruit smoothie, add a few chunks of vegetables to your fruit base. Peeled, seeded, and diced cucumbers add a slight, refreshing tang and many nutrients. Try it in a fresh melon smoothie, along with a thickener like low-fat vanilla or plain yogurt. Other vegetables will blend better when cooked — experiment with chunks of rhubarb in a strawberry smoothie or carrots in a banana-mango combo.

Go Green With Sandwiches

Eaten on a regular basis, dark green leafy vegetables have proven to have many health benefits — they’re anti-aging, cancer preventing, and Heart-healthy. A good way to sneak dark green leafy vegetables into your diet is to put some spinach leaves or other greens on whole-grain bread sandwiches. Better yet, use wide-leaf lettuce like romaine to make your own wraps and skip the bread altogether.

Preheat the oven to 375°. 1 . Arrange the garlic halves cut side up on a sheet of foil, drizzle with olive oil and wrap tightly. Roast until the garlic is very tender, about 1 hour. Let cool, then squeeze the cloves out of their skins into a small bowl and mash to a paste.
Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Put the asparagus in a strainer, submerge it in the water and cook just until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Cool the asparagus under running water and pat dry.
2 . Return the water to a boil. Add the fregola and cook until very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and let cool slightly.
3 . In a food processor, puree the garlic paste, fregola, chickpeas and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil; transfer the mixture to a bowl. Stir in the asparagus, artichokes, olives, scallions, yogurt, lemon juice, herbs and quinoa. Season with salt and pepper.
4 . Heat a large cast-iron griddle or skillet and brush with olive oil. Using lightly moistened hands, form the mixture into eight 3-inch patties. Brush the patties with oil and cook over high heat until golden on the bottom, 4 minutes. Flip the patties and top each with a slice of cheese. Reduce the heat to moderate, cover and cook until the patties are heated through and golden on the bottom and the cheese is melted. Set the burgers on the buns and top with sun-dried-tomato spread, marinated mushrooms and sliced tomatoes. **Suggested Pairing **Bright, cherry-scented red

1 . Heat the oven to 425°.
2 . In a large bowl, combine the wings, oil, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and the cayenne. Arrange the wings in a single layer on two large baking sheets. Bake until just done, about 25 minutes.
3 . Meanwhile, in a medium glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, blue cheese, scallions, 1 teaspoon of the vinegar, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper.
4. In a large bowl, combine the ketchup, the remaining 4 teaspoons vinegar, and the Tabasco sauce. Add the wings and toss to coat. Serve the wings with the celery sticks and blue-cheese dressing alongside.

Serve these wings with more finger food.
Corn on the cob would go nicely.
Roasted potato wedges are a good alternative and can be cooked alongside the wings.
Suggested Pairing :Beer is a no-brainer with the salt, spice, and heat of this barfly classic.
For a more festive alternative, serve a crisp sparkling wine; it will refresh the palate and tame the heat of the dish.

Preheat the oven to 425°.
1 . In a small saucepan, cover the potato with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Cook over moderate heat until just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool, then peel the potato and slice it 1/4 inch thick. Season the potato slices with salt.
2 . Meanwhile, arrange the eggplant slices on a rimmed baking sheet and brush both sides with olive oil. Season with salt and bake for about 10 minutes, until browned and tender.
3 . In a large bowl, add the cucumber, tomato, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro and parsley. Toss with the lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4 . Cut off 2 inches from the side of the warm pitas to make openings in the pockets. Gently open the pitas. Spread the hummus on the bottoms and 1 tablespoon of tahini over it. Layer the potato slices, eggplant, egg and cucumber-tomato salad in the pitas, along with some of the salad juices. Top with the pickle slices and serve.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Prep / Total : 2 hours Makes 8 servingsThis dish combines breakfast favorites grits and eggs with tried-and-true Southen collard greens. Make simple simple collard greens up to three days ahead for simple prep before mealtime.Give yourself a head start: Make Simple Collard Greens up to three days ahead.

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Bring salt and 4 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; gradually whisk in grits. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, whisking often, 5 to 7 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese and butter.2. Whisk together half-and-half, next 2 ingredients, and 2 eggs in a medium bowl. Stir half-and-half mixture into grits mixture. Stir in Simple Collard Greens. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.3. Bake at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes or until set. Remove from oven.4. Make 8 indentations in grits mixture with back of a large spoon. Break remaining 8 eggs, 1 at a time, and slip 1 egg into each indentation. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until eggs are cooked to desired degree of doneness. Cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let stand 10 minutes. Serve with hot sauce, if desired.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Want your kids to eat more veggies? Your family will love the flavor of grilled eggplant zucchini, squash and mushrooms right off the grill. If you have any leftovers, serve them the next day in a cold pasta salad or as a part of a toasty vegetable sandwich .
Marinate a medley of summer veggies—yellow squash, zucchini, bell pepper, eggplant, and sweet onion—in olive oil and herbs and then grill until tender.

Preheat broiler:
Cut tops off tomatoes; discard. Carefully scoop out tomato pulp, leaving shells intact; finely chop pulp. Combine pulp with remaining ingredients. Place tomato shells in an 8-inch square baking dish. Divide pulp mixture evenly among tomato shells. Broil 2 minutes or until tomatoes just begin to blister and topping is browned.
TIP:Cut out the saturated fat by using fat-free feta cheese. This dish works as a small lunch or a side.

1 . Whisk together the dressing ingredients until the sugar is dissolved.
2 . In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, scallions, basil, and mint. Add the dressing, and toss well to coat. Sprinkle with the peanuts.

1 . For stuffing, in a large skillet melt butter. Add mushrooms, onion, and thyme; cook until onion is tender. Remove from heat; stir in crushed croutons, prosciutto, cheese, and the 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Season with pepper. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring remaining balsamic vinegar to boiling. Boil, uncovered, until reduced by half, about 6 minutes; remove from heat.
2 . Prepare medium-hot banked fire in covered grill or preheat gas to medium-high. Lightly oil grill grate.
3 . To butterfly the pork loin, place fat-side down. Make a single lengthwise cut down the center of the pork, cutting to within 1/2 inch of the bottom side. Spread open. Make another lengthwise slit to the right of the first cut and a third slit to the left. Cover pork with clear plastic wrap. Pound with a meat mallet to even thickness, about 3/4 inch. Remove plastic wrap.
4 . Spread stuffing onto pork, leaving a 3/4-inch border. Starting from a long side, roll the pork and stuffing jelly-roll style. Tightly and evenly retie meat with butcher's twine or cotton kitchen string at 2-inch intervals. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5 . Grill pork, fat-side up, over indirect heat, away from the fire until internal temperature on a thermometer reads between 145 degrees F. (medium rare) and 160 degrees F. (medium) – start checking the temperature at 45-50 minutes – brushing with reduced balsamic twice during last 10 minutes of grilling. Remove pork from heat; let rest about 10 minutes. To serve, remove twine and cut pork into slices, about 3/4-inch thick.
TIP :
To roast in lieu of grilling: Prepare and stuff pork loin as directed. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place stuffed roast, fat-side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast, uncovered, until internal temperature on a thermometer reads between 145 degrees F. (medium rare) and 160 degrees F. (medium), about 50-60 minutes, brushing with reduced balsamic twice during last 10 minutes of roasting. Let rest about 10 minutes and slice as directed above.